


A Variable Left Unanswered

by Morgyn Leri (morgynleri)



Series: Lies, Misdirection, and Terrible Truth [20]
Category: Mythology - Fandom, The Avengers (2012)
Genre: GFY, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-14
Updated: 2012-11-14
Packaged: 2017-11-18 16:07:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/562875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/morgynleri/pseuds/Morgyn%20Leri
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I mean, why team up with him? He's not exactly the poster-boy for sanity, and the guy's tried to take over the world once."</p>
<p>"Did he?" Anat's expression doesn't change, but her voice has the sort of gentle patience Tony associates with someone talking to a small child, or someone who's really not getting it. At least, when the person talking is someone a lot more patient than he is.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Variable Left Unanswered

She still looks a lot like Pepper, and still has that artificial perfection about her that makes her less appealing than Pepper, no matter how beautiful she is. Tony glances around the room, surprised that they're alone. But maybe Loki is elsewhere, and that's probably a good thing right now. Barton still wants to put an arrow through Loki's eye socket, as far as Tony knows, and if Loki isn't here, Barton isn't likely to be watching the apartment and seeing a conversation Tony would just as soon keep between him and Anat.

He'll probably tell Pepper, though.

"I have suitable drink, if you should wish any." Anat's voice is nothing like Pepper's, which is nice, because otherwise, it would get more than a little creepy. "Or if you would wish something of a less intoxicating nature, there are those as well."

"Scotch will be fine." Tony looks over the available seating before settling in a chair that looks comfortable, accepting the glass from Anat before utterly ignoring it in favor of watching her. Trying to figure her out, but that's rather difficult, because despite having Pepper's face, she doesn't have Pepper's expressions. Which is actually comforting, because it means he really isn't going to mistake her for Pepper any time soon. "Why Loki?"

It's not really a good question, and there are too many missing variables to get a half-way satisfying answer, and he knows it. The smile on Anat's face suggests she knows it too, and she's not going to make this easy on him.

"I mean, why team up with him? He's not exactly the poster-boy for sanity, and the guy's tried to take over the world once."

"Did he?" Anat's expression doesn't change, but her voice has the sort of gentle patience Tony associates with someone talking to a small child, or someone who's really not getting it. At least, when the person talking is someone a lot more patient than he is.

"Let's see. Powerful artifact used to rip open a portal in the sky to allow an alien army through, grandiose proclamations of needing to free humanity of freedom, general mayhem." He frowns at the raised eyebrow he gets for the recitation, and wonders what he missed in all that. "What am I missing?"

"A better question." Anat shrugs. "You still have a lot to learn, but you have the time to learn it."

"Yeah, about that. What did you mean, when you said you wouldn't allow me to die?"

Anat chuckles, watching him with no little amusement on her face. "Only that." It's not the sort of answer Tony wants - and he has a nasty suspicion he's not going to get the answer he wants.

"Are all aliens who masquerade as gods as cryptic as this?"

The smile fades from Anat's face, and she leans forward a moment. "Don't think that simply because we are not from your world, and our means are far advanced from your own, that we are not what we claim. It is not the means that make us." She sits back after, watching him for a long moment. "You may leave now, Tony Stark. Think of better of questions, and come back some other day."

Tony is tempted not to let her just dismiss him, but he doesn't have a choice - doesn't remember getting up, or leaving, but still finds himself outside the door to the apartment. And he rather doubts knocking on the door again will get him let in. He grimaces, and heads for the elevator. He'll try again tomorrow.


End file.
